An Act
by ChocolateIsMyDoom
Summary: She needs cash. He needs a teacher. She needs a role. Her teacher calls her. But she should've guessed that the boy with green eyes and dyslexia was a something other than dumb. How about an actor'"I mean, the way you and her look at each other, the times you visited her in the hospital? It couldn't be more obvious. You're in love!"'AU All-Human.
1. Tutoring And Auditions

**Hi there! New Story. Recently, I've been obsessed with actresses/actors AUs, so I wanted to make my own. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Frederick Chase shoved her out of her bed.

"Now," he said, his voice dripping with venom "Who are you?"

Annabeth stood proud, "I am Tyrena, daughter of the King, and you will not murder me in my sleep,"

Frederick raised an eyebrow, "And if I were to tell you that I loved you?"

Annabeth snorted, "Please, I will never marry,"

Frederick smiled, "Next time chose someone a bit less queen warrior. You use them too much,"

Annabeth, still in her pajamas, shrugged as she picked up her clothes, "I love that type of women,"

Frederick rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Annabeth, sometimes I wonder if you take me seriously at all,"

"You're no actor," Annabeth said, defensive, "And I'm twenty. I've got a teacher now –"

"Who loves that I help you," he said, a smile on his lips. "Now, get dressed and work. You need the money,"

Annabeth sighed, "That I do,"

Being twenty years old, in college, and living with her father, she was desperate for some cash.

When her dad had gone, she dressed. Nothing fancy. Informal, but not casual. She wanted to look elegant, but young and taken for any girl on the street. The role she was playing was the one of a teacher.

She put make up on and grabbed her bag, but before she could go, Matthew told her, "It's your turn to wash the dishes, Beth,"

She groaned, "Okay. But tell Ben I'll kill him if he doesn't help me. And don't call me that,"

Her twelve year old brother grinned, "Of course,"

She was out of the house before he could bring her another thing for her to do.

Annabeth walked slowly, with no hurry. She was a confident woman today, with a boyfriend and her own apartment and all she needed. Her name was Jane. She was going to be early for her work, and she wanted to go slowly. She daydreamed of being a beautiful mother, as her character would daydream, and she went so into her fantasy that she almost didn't look up when she heard someone call, "Annabeth?"

"Thalia?" she was surprised to see her there. The twenty one year old was happy to see her, and planted two kisses on her cheeks, smiling. Her black hair, which had been spiky in her teenage years, was now long and straight, flowing over her shoulders. Her blue eyes looked eager and awake. She was dressed in a short dress, with pants underneath, as she always wore.

"How's the acting going?" her best friend asked, smiling.

"Great. How's the feminist war going?" Thalia was studying law and history both, but her real future was as an activist for the feminist cause. She always wore dresses and pants, insisting than men could wear the same. She had a bad temper, and whenever a stupid man said that she was inferior to him, Thalia would be close to scratching his eyes out.

"Horrible. I've lost another case about a stupid abuser," Thalia sounded miserable, and, as much as Annabeth wanted to comfort her, she had problems too.

"I'm sorry, Thalia, but I've got to go. I'm earning my money," she said, apologetic.

"You have to tell me all about it," she vowed, and walked past her, talking through her phone to some girl called Phoebe.

Annabeth sighed and kept walking, bumping into someone. "Sorry," she muttered, and then stepped on someone, "So sorry," she said, her eyes on the floor.

She continued walking for a few minutes, trying to bring back out Jane, with her small problems and her easy smile, but she couldn't. Her character was lost. She sighed again, feeling more tired than ever, and was glad she had finally gotten to the library.

Everything was quiet there, just like Annabeth liked it. She had her space, silence, and books. Lots and lots and lots of books.

"Books are stories that need to be read if you ever want to act," her teacher, Mr. Chiron, had told her, "A movie is good to watch, but the beginning of stories will always come from books,"

Annabeth went to the librarian and asked for her student. The girl was a teen, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with big blue eyes and blonde hair that was badly brushed but still beautiful. She had a pimple on her nose, and she looked miserable about it. She stared at Annabeth for two seconds, then said: "I don´t know if I ought to congratulate you or give you a warning. He's hot as hell and charming, but he's thick, all right. Dumb but cute," she sighed, and Annabeth rolled her eyes after she had given her the table number. Teenagers.

She had been, by name, a teenager last year, but she had been an adult the first day she had entered college. She had grown years in days, maturing at an alarming speed, and now she knew what she wanted and what she could do.

What she wanted was money.

She sat on the chair, and took out her iPad from her bag, along with her books and old notebooks. She began to study a bit, cursing herself for not remembering to study this and that passage. Her student would need her at her best.

A second later, someone slid beside her, and Annabeth looked up.

She was surprised. According to his grades in Math and Literature, her student had been around the average C+ fifteen year old, and she had thought him to be, at the most, seventeen, but the man, for he was a man, sitting beside her was at least twenty, if not twenty one. And he was good-looking, he granted the teen that. He had jet black hair that looked badly brushed, and he was tanned, with a strong build. His face was handsome, with a permanent smile, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of sea-green. She saw some girl giggling when he sat beside her, and she just stared.

Percy Jackson looked uncomfortable, "Oh, are you not Annabeth Chase?"

She found her voice again, "Yes. Yes, sorry, I was just..."

"...expecting a younger guy?" he smiled, "It's okay. I get that a lot,"

Yes, you do, Annabeth couldn't help thinking, he must be so dumb.

But she was professional Jane now, so she smiled and said, "Okay. So, first, Percy. If you are twenty? Twenty one? Why do you need this tutoring? Don´t be shy," she said, "I want to know it because of your own good and that we may progress faster,"

Percy leaned back, a bit tense, "Well, I'm dyslexic and ADHD, as I've told you, and I have the worst luck with teachers. Even so, I passed my SAT and am now in college, but my studies have required maths and I want to read better, so that's my reason for you," he said

Annabeth nodded, "Let's get to help you,"

He was much more professional than Annabeth thought, and less proud too. If he didn't understand something, he said it right way. Annabeth thought him a nice guy, who could literally not do anything better. He tried and tried, but it was really difficult for him, so Annabeth called a break.

As they were sitting there, him writing things, she said, "So, do you have a car?"

He looked at her, seemingly confused, "What kind of question is that?"

She smiled, "I'm not that good with starting a conversation. I just say the first words that pop out of my mouth,"

He looked amused, "Well, if you must know, yes, I own a car."

Lucky bastard, she thought, bloody rich. But she smiled.

"What are you studying?" he asked, curious.

Annabeth took a long breath, "Drama,"

She waited for the "Oh, I would have thought you a scientist," and the "Really? You seem too bright to be an actress," and, of course, the, "Oh. Well, I love (this movie) and (this movie). Is there anything remarkable about them?"

They were all common, she was used to them. And many more. As she was used to being taken for stupid for being blonde. She handled it well now. She was an adult.

But he said no such thing. He just said, "I love drama." he seemed to be saying something with his tone, but Annabeth didn't wonder, "I kind of wonder how you do it though. How does it feel to be two people at once?" his tone was a bit strange again, and his eyes were gleaming with interest.

Annabeth thought about it for a moment," It's not really two people. You know how people claim to channel the dead?" he nodded, "It's like that. I'm the character's way of existing. I have to try and be the character, to have their reactions and emotions, and I cease being Annabeth me. It's really fun. I was in a hard place, though. I could have gone to architecture instead of Drama, but in the end, acting was better for me,"

Percy smiled, and said "I'm glad. I hope you're a great actress someday, and I'll say 'This girl spoke to me once'."

She laughed, and they continued tutoring. When he said goodbye and they each went off, Annabeth wondered if she had just made a friend.

But the sound of her phone ringing interrupted her musing.

"Hello?" she said, and her teacher's voice answered her:

"Annabeth. I have a great thing to tell you," Chiron said.

"Spill it!" Annabeth urged, hand gripping the phone tight.

"You've got an audition for a film. And not just any film. You know who's the director? Poseidon –freaking- Olympia."

Annabeth could have wept. She gave a small cry of satisfaction, and some guy on the street stared at her strangely.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Completely so. He knows me from old times, and he was speaking to me of his new film 'Love at Bay' and he said he was in need of a young actress for a role. When I heard about it. Oh, Annabeth, it's made for you! I immediately suggested you, of course, my young apprentice. He was delighted. He said he had heard a bit of your play last year."

Annabeth began to tear up. Poseidon Olympia, one of the biggest directors in this decade, and she had an audition for a role! She could kiss Chiron right now.

"When?" she asked, ecstatic.

Chiron sounded sheepish "Um, they're actually almost finishing the cast, so they asked for you in, I don't know, an hour..."

Annabeth's mouth dropped open "Address,"

And when he told her, she ran like hell to the nearest bus stop.

She caught one only by luck, and she hung on tight to her seat, practically bouncing up and down with exciting. She left a message for her dad, telling him not to wait for her to have lunch, and opened her email on her phone, already having received the four page script of the audition she had to have. She memorized as quick as she could, and she found herself enjoying the story enormously. It was only four pages, but Bethany was one of the most interesting characters she'd ever played. She was a seventeen year old who was obsessed with things like boys and wealth, yet she was deep and meaningful, and she had the easy talk of a writer. She was trying to hide her real tastes, Annabeth sensed, because she wanted to be a completely different person. And the way she spoke to Mary...Annabeth sensed that Bethany was depressed.

"Greener Street," called the bus driver.

She was out of the door in a flash.

She ran as fast as she could, apologizing without breath if she bumped into anyone. Faces blurred into one another. She couldn't have said if she was seeing strangers or her family. All in her mind was the audition. She needed this role. More than she had ever needed _anything_. If she could get a major part in this movie, a big, flashy movie, then she would be one step away from being famous.

When she saw the building, she ran, her curls jumping up and down.

She saw the man in front of her before she bumped into him.

"Hello," she said, breathless.

He was tall. Really tall. And he was much older than her, with blond hair and charming blue eyes. He had a beautiful smile, and dressed comfortably.

"Hello, in a hurry?" he asked, jokingly.

"Yes. Is this where I can find Poseidon Olympia?" she asked.

The guy's eyes widened, "You're here for a _role_?" he shook his head, "Sure. Follow me. I'm Luke, assistant director."

Annabeth followed.

He guided her through white corridors with paintings of sea animals on the walls. They were beautiful, and Annabeth stared at them.

"You like it?" Luke asked, smiling.

"Yes. A lot."  
"You'll be meeting the guy and the girl who drew them later. He's in for the film." He opened a black door, "Good luck," he said.

"Thank you," and the door was closed.

She turned…

…to find the (probably) most attractive middle aged man in the world.

His hair was jet black, and looked as stylish as hair can get. He looked like a movie star. His skin was tanned. He was amazingly tall, his nose was just the right size, and his lips were almost invisible but seductive at the same time. His eyes were…gosh, his eyes were a wonderful shade of sea-green.

Annabeth was a bit nervous, but she said, "Poseidon Olympia?"

He nodded and gave her a charming smile. He was dressed in a suit, but he looked uncomfortable with it, like he'd rather wear jeans. There was something really familiar about him, but Annabeth couldn't really say what.

"I understand you're Chiron's girl, Annabeth Chase,"

Annabeth nodded, and he gestured at her to sit down in one chair. The room was completely black, darker than the night, and a single light illuminated a silver table and two white chairs. Poseidon _shone_.

"Annabeth, I know you're wondering how you, a girl still studying, is here, while other famous actresses haven't gotten the chance to audition,"  
Annabeth nodded again, "I'm really grateful,"

Poseidon smiled, "I trust Chiron with my life. I hope you don't disappoint me. Rachel, come in!"

A girl entered the room by another door. She had red curls, beautifully brushed. She looked a bit older than Annabeth, with big, pink lips and emerald green eyes. She was wearing a simple black dress that melted into the room. Her eyes seemed made of light.

It was all very dramatic. Just like Annabeth liked it.

In real life? Gosh, she hated people who made a drama out of _everything_, but the grace, style and beauty that Poseidon had put into staging this, that she loved. Because it was art, and she was an actress.

"Annabeth, this is our Mary. She is fantastic. Like you, she's also studying, but she's twenty two. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, meet Annabeth Chase, your possible Bethany,"

Annabeth stood and shook hands with the girl, who seemed a bit surprised by the gesture, and they sat down.

Poseidon retreated into the darkness, and whispered, "Act."

And they did.

Suddenly, Rachel wasn't Rachel. She wasn't the cute, smiling girl who'd come out of the darkness. She was Mary, with her horrible taste in clothes, who looked at herself and closed her eyes, who couldn't gather enough strength to say she wanted something.

Annabeth loved her already.

She became Bethany too.

She was now Beth, cool and unsmiling Bethany on the outside, sad and completely depressed Bethany in the inside. She looked everywhere but Mary (because she wasn't Rachel now), and bit her lip.

Finally, after what seemed years, Bethany said, "So…do you want a drink or are you just going to stay there all afternoon?"

Mary seemed relieved, but frightened too, "A coke, please," she said, a bit too quickly.

Bethany sensed herself softening in the inside. This poor girl was just a bit anxious. But she couldn't let her guard down. Her friends were there, and she needed to seem great. Not like she really was.

"Sure, m'lady," she joked, and a tremor shook her shoulders. Not a break down _here. _Not in front of her friends.

Mary said nothing, but Bethany could feel her stare.

"You do know, we don't sell that here," she said, her voice a bit too loud. Mary frowned, "But –"

Bethany leaned in, and whispered, "Come to the back. Those guys are staring at you," she didn't lie, but she just couldn't bear to be there. She was going to break down any moment now.

She didn't smile reassuringly. She couldn't. Her friends would never talk to her if she smiled at this girl.

But Mary seemed delighted.

Rachel and Annabeth waited a few minutes, then retook the script. It was a really hard audition. It needed the bar, the back, the guys, the table, but Poseidon had chosen this script, and she wasn't about to complain.

"Thanks," Mary sniffed, "They laughed at me yesterday,"

"Assholes," Bethany declared.

The scene continued like that. Bethany never smiled. Not once. And Mary seemed more and more friendly, but a little scared too. It was so completely un-like the actress who had come out of the darkness, Annabeth was impressed. Bethany resembled her a bit on the being hard part. She only smiled when she was really, really, really happy, which was rarely, but on the other part, Bethany was as different from her like night and day.

When they were done, clapping started sounding in the distance.

"I like it," announced Poseidon, amused, "We'll take you,"

Annabeth stared, "Are you kidding me?"

Rachel smiled, stood, and put her hand on her shoulder, "We're not. You played it amazingly. Other people smile." She shrugged, and Annabeth admired how great of an actress she was.

"You're in, Bethany," Poseidon Olympia smiled.

* * *

The cast welcomed her as soon as she arrived at the studio, and Annabeth was amazed.

The people there were magnificent actors. There was Reyna Wertorn, with her long black hair and reputation for playing the best villains Hollywood had ever seen. Hermes, one of the best actors in this century; Bianca di Angelo, the child actor with the humble smile. And there was, of course, Aphrodite Olympia, Poseidon's cousin. The movie star kissed her on both cheeks and squealed, "I'm going to have so much fun with you!"

She was so beautiful.

She only had to meet one more person of the cast.

"He's amazing," Rachel said, her eyes shining. "He's perfect for the role. Poseidon wouldn't have normally hired him, but since you and me were casted, he decided to take a few risks,"

"Is he still in university too?" Annabeth asked, interested.

"Yeah," Rachel said, sighing with delight, "But not in drama. Poseidon urged him a hundred times, but he went to marine biology instead. That guy…he could be an Oscar winner if he even _tried_, but he's so good with sea animals…"she had a crush on him, alright, "Did you know he helped me paint the white wall?" she said, a glint in her eyes,

"Really?" Annabeth had loved it.

"Yes, he described to me the animals, showed me how to draw them more realistically. He's charming, Annabeth, and he doesn't even _try_." She sighed, "I would've tried asking him out, but he's off limits,"

"Why?"

"Because he's –Oh wait, here he comes! He was busy this morning," she explained.

And yet, Annabeth still hadn't gotten the name of the famous guy who was playing John.

"Hey! Rachel!" came a voice.

It sounds familiar, Annabeth thought, thinking, almost like…

And then she saw his face.

Without that weary face from studying, Percy Jackson looked ten times more handsome. He was dressed casually, and had a giant smile on his face when he embraced Rachel.

It can't be, she thought. She didn't want to work with him in Maths and Literature, _and_ have to kiss him for a movie.

And when Percy Jackson's eyes fell upon her, they widened.

Annabeth opened her mouth, trying to, at least, be nice and casual about them meeting here.

'Hey, yeah, so I'm working for this guy,'

'Really? Me, too!'

She wanted him to befriend her, to have some comfort before they had to kiss each other and touch and whisper things in their ear and…

Poseidon put his hand on Percy's shoulder, "How was it?" he asked, an knowing glint in his beautiful eyes.

Eyes, Annabeth realized, so much like…

"Fine, Dad,"

* * *

**Did you like it? If you did, I'll continue. Leave your thoughts, I'll be glad to read them. **

**Have a nice day!**

**-ChocolateIsMyDoom**


	2. Talks and Realizations

**Hello! Thank You so much reviewers. I received wonderful reviews and I knew I just had to continue this as soon as possible. I hope you like this as much as the first. Oh, and this switches POVs a bit, but I think it's clear enough.**

* * *

"So, go on, _please_ tell me how you've sexually and physically abused your wife for two years,"

Joffrey Lannis groaned, "I didn't do that, I swear! Sansa hit herself!"

"That is a lie!" shouted Sansa Star, sobbing. Her face was almost purple with bruises, her leg had a huge gash that was starting to heal, and her body was all covered in scratches and more bruises. Thalia had found her naked, begging for help, sobbing and crying.

"First he killed my father," Sansa had said when they asked her, "because he said 'he hadn't given him my hand'. He's a psycho. He thinks we're in Middle Age. He kidnapped me," she had started sobbing then.

Thalia looked at Joffrey, who was glaring at Sansa. It wouldn't be hard to win this case. Joffrey's parents were dead and he hadn't got a friend, and the man was stupid as he was violent. Besides, he wasn't rich, and Sansa's mother supported her daughter in everything.

Thalia leaned back in her chair, "Go, Lannis, we'll continue this another time,"

The police took the man away, and Sansa repeated for the hundredth time, "I can't tell you how grateful I am, Thalia. You saved me," she said, her big blue eyes looking at her.

The girl was only fourteen, and she had been raped and hit and gone through hell. She had escaped Joffrey's house a month ago, only to be hit by rapists and almost raped again, but Thalia had found her just in time, and had kicked those men down.

She smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. Joffrey _will_ go to jail,"

Sansa nodded.

Thalia left her work with a heavy heart.

She wondered if Luke, the guy who she had seen at the cafeteria, would hit her and rape her. Probably not. With his smile and his shining eyes, he seemed friendly enough. But you could never really know with men, could you?

She walked towards her car, feeling more and more down. How people could be that sick, she didn't know. She sighed and got in the vehicle, letting her bag fall on the seat next to her. She was about to start the car when her phone rung.

She picked it up, silently congratulating herself for putting it out of her bag, and said, "Thalia at the phone,"

"Thalia," Annabeth said, "You are not going to believe this,"

* * *

Thalia laughed, her bad mood forgotten, "Did he really turn out to be your co-worker?"

Annabeth glared at her, "It's not funny. I thought him unfit for doing sums, and now he's an amazing actor," Annabeth sighed with delight, "If you could have seen him act…"

Thalia smiled, "Hey, I'm proud of you. A role in a Poseidon Olympia movie,"

Annabeth blushed, "Thanks, Thalia. How did work go?"

She shrugged, "I caught this guy. Oh, he was _sick_. But we've got witnesses, money, and him no defense, so I'm almost positive we've got him,"

"Good," her friend said, grey eyes serious, "Good,"

They were sipping at their coffees, sitting in their favorite coffee shop: _Grand Tier_. Annabeth looked a bit lost and over excited at the same time, and Thalia couldn't help but smile. She was so happy for the role, yet she was acting really exaggerated about something not so bad. And the Percy guy sounded actually attractive, which was a plus if you had to kiss him.

"Why is he called Jackson and not Olympia?" Thalia asked suddenly,

Annabeth tilted her head, "I don't know. I didn't really had the chance to ask him, but I guess that he's kept his mother's name,"

Thalia leaned back in her chair, "Go on. Tell me all about his acting. I know you're dying to,"

Annabeth smiled a small smile, "You know you're my best friend, right?"

Thalia only nodded.

* * *

Annabeth watched, amazed.

"Isn't he great?" Rachel asked, smiling at her, "I confess, I didn't think he had it in him, you know, marine biologist and all that, but he's proved me wrong."

_And me, too_, Annabeth thought, watching him. Percy was a different person.

He wasn't all that different from the role, and that was the amazing part. John was sarcastic too, he was also actually smart, but didn't get good grades. He was the rebel type, with a bike and a guitar, but Percy played him beautifully. He didn't talk like he normally did. His voice turned bitter and sweet, and soft and hard at the perfect places for _John_, not for Percy. Even Annabeth, who didn't know Percy all that well, could see that.

And, though it wasn't in the script, Annabeth had seen him checking actresses out in the middle of a scene, or biting his lip when someone annoying began talking loudly. She had seen him laugh at all the wrong jokes, and she had seen him act with Rachel.

They were amazing together.

The film was about the gigantic crush Mary had on John, while Bethany befriended Mary. Bethany heard all about John, and labeled it as nonsense, but when she met him, she fell in love. Depression came after. Self-harming. Hating herself, trying to distance herself from Mary because she loved her too much and hated herself too much to try and steal the guy.

And then, at the bitter end, when she was taking the pills to kill herself, the wedding. Bethany seeing Mary and John getting married, and visiting her grave, and Mary wondering why, goddamnit, had she killed herself.

And then she woke up in the hospital, someone holding her hand. And that someone being John, tears in his eyes, kissing her hand and grabbing her and her crying.

The ending was Mary, and her visiting them at their home, sweet and gentle, her with their children, her with them on their 25th anniversary, her with their grandchildren, and then her visiting their grave, and confessing, a mad smile on her face, how she had loved him all along, and she was finally glad they wouldn't make her suffer anymore, and the final, dramatic line: "My love was at bay with you alive. It can set sail while you are dead,"

And Rachel and Percy acted it out beautifully. John was sweet and soft about her anxiety, but once she opened up, he was scolding her, trying to make her open and smiling, trying to make her confident maybe a little too roughly, and Mary exploded, crying and shouting that she tried. It was beautiful how they hugged each other, and how John, knowing by now Mary loved him, kissed her softly and passionately.

Percy grew awkward after those scenes. Rachel was always elated.

Annabeth had only watched that scene: the Mary and John scene, and she had to say that it was incredibly played, because it was real. It wasn't cute or romantic, it was gut-wrenchingly real. How much Mary suffered and how much John tried to help but couldn't, and how John, after opening her to him, grew mad at her, because he didn't understand at all. Because people don't really understand, do they?

Annabeth cried.

Poseidon had been filled with pride. "That's my son!"

Annabeth found out that Percy had been perfect for the role because John worked in an aquarium and knew all kind of weird facts about fish (that was one of the ways he'd made Bethany fall in love) and Poseidon had been delighted to have someone who actually knew them in real life.

She had watched, struck with wonder, when Bianca di Angelo had approached her.

She was only eleven, with black hair, olive skin and dark eyes. She was pretty for her age, with a modest smile and a great ability for playing children. She was playing Tamara, John's little sister, and had it hard, since the girl was supposed to be a mute. She had heard Rachel say she was incredible.

Bianca handed her the full script with a smile, "Hi," she said, "You're beautiful,"

Annabeth smiled, knowing far too well that Bianca had been dared to say that. She had seen the Stoll twins, adults, talking to her about it.

"Okay, Bianca. First, know that I am honored to feature in a movie in which you act, and second, please tell the Stolls to not dare you again,"

Bianca blushed, started to turn away, but stopped and said, "You _are_ pretty, though. Percy said so,"

Annabeth had, for absolutely no reason, blushed.

She saw the Stolls cursing, and smiled. Though they had played serious people with hard smiles, they were just too sarcastic and definite pranksters. She had to stay clear of them.

Aphrodite gushed about how tall and fair Ares, her boyfriend, was, (even though everybody in the city knew she was married to Hephaestus Heral,). Annabeth met beautiful Juniper, with her shy smile and long hair, who told her she was her personal assistant for the film. Silena Beauregarde, a beautiful girl with brown hair and blue eyes, squeaked and told her she was the make-up artist and that she was also in charge of her clothes. She was so enthusiastic, "We'll be best friends!" she cried, and hugged her a bit too tightly.

She found Nico di Angelo, Bianca's brother, sitting bored in a corner, staring at some figurines in his hands. He didn't even glance up when she saw him.

Annabeth stared at Percy for a while, thought about her character, laughed at the sudden turn of events, signed a few contracts, said goodbye to everyone, and left.

* * *

Thalia stared at her coffee, "Annabeth…I think you should remember that you tutor this guy,"

"What? Of course I remember!"

Thalia bit her lip, "I mean that, as much as he is your equal in this film, he is inferior to you in class. You _must_ make him remember that. He can't talk to you like you're friends. I'm pretty sure he actually needs what you're teaching him, so he needs to respect you,"

"Thalia, this is just you and your crazy feminist talk that you sometimes get," Annabeth laughed, "It's okay to be friends with your student. We're adults, Thalia, _please_,"

Thalia chose to just smile. Sometimes she forgot Annabeth was so rational, and she herself much more skilled in social interaction. She wished she could condemn her friend into being happy, as she condemned criminals to jail. And it didn't help that Annabeth never talked about other friends.

Did she actually _have_ another friend?

She knew Annabeth was nice and beautiful and funny, but she was so intelligent and intimidating (and good with a knife, Thalia had learned to her amazement,) that she tended to push people away unintentionally, and ended up sad.

But Thalia wasn't easily pushed away, and she had persisted. She knew Annabeth had Malcolm, her half brother, but she doubted the girl did much else except read, act, and take acting classes.

She sighed and sipped her coffee, only to realize she had drank it all.

Great.

* * *

Percy looked at his dad and nodded, "I'm serious,"

"We just casted your tutor as your romantic interest," Poseidon said quietly "DISASTER!" he boomed, flapping his arm with dramatic movements and expressions, "I do not care. If she chooses to teach you math in her free time, I do not care. It's not the end of the world. This is not a fluffy movie in which you fall slowly in love and she has to leave her job or something. Just…please don't make your tutoring turn into public knowledge. It'd ruin your image as an amazing guy."

"Anybody can check my grades," Percy snapped, "And I don't care if they know how low I get with my intellect. I try, you know," he sighed, frustrated, "Thanks for your support, dad,"

He heard his dad's voice as he closed the door, "Don't forget to say bye to Amphitrite!"

Percy groaned, opened the door to his right, and said goodbye to the woman with the blueish black hair.

Amphitrite Olympia looked him up and down, "You can go, Perseus. Get out of my sight,"

Percy did so.

He saw Luke Castellan wave at him as he got into his car and waved back.

Rachel was in the seat next to him. Percy turned the car on and smiled at her, "So, where do you live?"

Rachel told him her address with a small smile, and Percy started driving.

"So…what do you think of this Chase girl?" Rachel asked,

Percy shrugged, "I barely know her," It was true, "But she seems nice, and very good with acting, if she's been cast,"

Rachel looked through her window, "Yes, and she's amazed. She kept looking at me like I'm some kind of great actress. She gaped when she saw Reyna and Bianca. I thought she was going to cry. This girl just entered the high circle," she said, smiling.

Percy laughed, "Yeah, right. I'm _so_ high class,"

Rachel laughed too, "Yes, you are," she said, and touched his hand.

Percy was startled, and stood in silence for a minute, but Rachel didn't take her hand away, and he didn't pull way either. He was a little confused. Everyone always said he'd always suck in romance as when he was a sixteen year old.

They reached the house, which was a modest place with a little garden.

"We're here," Percy said, and Rachel got out, "You don't have to wait for me," she said, seeming a bit nervous, "You can go."

"Oh-kay," he said, and drove off.

He was a bit tired from the day. The scene they had filmed had been something really beautiful, but difficult also. He needed caffeine, or his mom would kill him for not saving up energy for Paul. He was supposed to take Percy out so he look at some flats and apartments. He knew Sally Jackson-Blofis would want him to be awake and alert, because being with Paul always felt a bit slippery, like it could all break apart if he didn't behave perfectly.

He stopped at his favorite café, got out of the car, closed it, and turned…

…to find Annabeth Chase seating with another girl in the table closest to him.

He turned awkward, as he always did when girls were together. They were just this big pack that could tear you to bits, with make-up and smiles and…he shuddered, but smiled all the same. He'd be seen like a creeper if he didn't say hello after staring at them.

"Hello, Annabeth," he said, and the girl turned, startled. Her eyes widened in surprised, and she opened and closed her mouth, and looked at the other girl from the corner of her eyes.

"Hello, Percy. This is my friend Thalia," she said, turning her body so she was open to a three way conversation.

Thalia smiled and nodded her head, "Hi, Percy. We were just speaking about you,"

Annabeth blushed, and Percy was surprised, "Good things, I hope," he said,

Thalia smirked "Of course, Percy. She just told me about your acting. I really hope she wasn't exaggerating, you seem like a really talented artist. Anyway, _I _have to go put someone in jail, and here's money for the coffee," she put some money on the table, "Thanks Annabeth. See you, Percy. Bye," the girl said as she walked towards a blue car, got in, and disappeared after driving off.

"Is she always like that?" Percy asked, curious,

Annabeth nodded miserably, and said, "Sit down if you want to,"

Percy did sit down, across from her, and smiled, "What a coincidence, isn't it?"

"Why are you called Jackson instead of Olympia?" she blurted out, and Percy blinked.

Annabeth looked apologetic, "Sorry. I just say the first thing that comes to my mind,"

Percy smiled, "You told me," he remembered. "Well, I was kind of an accident. My mom, Sally _Jackson _met him and she got pregnant. Didn't waste time, those two," he grinned, "He didn't want a kid, and mom was happy raising me herself, so he gave her some money, got away, and I didn't meet him till I was twelve, when he came and demanded to know me," he shrugged, "And my mom kind of didn't like the last name 'Olympia,'"

Annabeth smiled, "Your mom sounds great," she seemed to realize she was in a café, "Do you…you want something?"

Percy said, "Actually, I do," he smiled, "I'll order a coffee. You?" she shook her head, so Percy stood up and ordered a coffee from a girl with big green eyes. She looked at him strangely, and he heard a chuckle behind him. Finally, the girl smiled at him sweetly and went for his coffee. When Percy went back to the table, Annabeth was laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked, and Annabeth face palmed, and said, "That teenager was looking at you like you were lunch. She was so obvious it was hilarious,"

Percy didn't think it was obvious, but he supposed Annabeth was better at noticing things like that.

They chatted for a long while, and Percy found himself enjoying her company a lot. Before he realized it, it was like talking to an old friend. She was funny and didn't seem to care that she was his tutor. Or that he was a guy. She talked honestly and with intelligence, and she made fun of him for not being able to guess her favorite animal after twenty clues.

"An Owl!" she said at last, laughing, "It's an owl!"

"I was thinking right of it!" he lied.

He looked at his watch… and cursed.

"What's wrong?" she asked

"I've got to go," he confessed, standing up, "It was great to talk to you, I had fun. See you tomorrow," he waved at her, heard her say goodbye, and got in his car.

Once he was in the safety of his vehicle, he allowed himself to wonder if he'd made a friend.

* * *

Rachel looked at the house, with only three stories, a cute garden and some steps, and desperately wished it was hers. She turned and walked down the corner, thinking about Percy, and saw the huge, beautiful, six story mansion with the gigantic pool and garden.

"Hello, Dad, Hello Mom," she called as she got in the house, and her father and her mother said hello. She was here for her lunch with her parents, as every Wednesday, and she was already tired of it.

She scolded her parents for using a brand of shampoo that was tested on animals, and sighed.

Oh, if only Percy was with her, everything would be better.

* * *

**Did you catch the kind of Game of Thrones reference? Did you liked it? Please say so in your reviews. And, should I continue? Be the wonderful people you are and please tell me.**

**Hope you liked it,**

**ChocolateMyDoom**


	3. Acting and Coffees

**Thank you for your wonderful reviews! I decided to update it again, since from Friday to the next Friday I will not be able to use my computer :( . I hope you like this chapter too. **

* * *

Percy sat down and called, "Hey, mom, you won't believe what happened today!"

Sally Jackson's laugh reverberated around the house, and she appeared, brown hair and gentle smile.

"What, Percy?" she asked, sitting down next to him, smirking.

"You know Annabeth Chase?"

"The woman who's tutoring you?" she inquired, smiling still.

"Yes, well…she just got a part in Dad's movie," Percy said as he relaxed in his chair.

As all the times Percy talked about any woman, Sally's question was: "Do you like her?"

It would have been annoying if he was a teen (and it had been), but now, it simply was amusing. His mom was convinced that he would never find a woman who could possibly control him. She thought of him as her little savage, much more different than Claudia and Arianne, his half-sisters. Even though Percy was twenty two and had a job and studies, she still worried about him taking care of himself. She had insisted in giving him a room in her house, and he had obviously accepted. He just couldn't say no to her.

In truth, Sally was partially right. He'd had a few girlfriends, but none had lasted much, and it hadn't been serious. His mom had been overjoyed when he'd talked about Rachel, and the way she flirted at him, but Percy had just shook his head, amused. He wasn't sure he wanted a relationship with the actress playing Mary.

When he laughed and said, "Mom, please. I know her for a day. She seems nice enough, and I've heard she acts wonderfully, but she's not even my _friend_ yet.", Sally sighed

Percy's philosophy was: never date a girl until she was a friend, preferably a best friend. He thought it was much better, because it meant the relationship was based in more than just attraction. The bad thing was, half of his girl best friends had actually fancied him, but he had never noticed it until they said it, tears in their face as he was moving to another school.

It wasn't his fault he wasn't a love expert!

His mom smiled, though, and said, "We've got a letter from your uncle."

"Which one?" He had two: uncle Hades and uncle Zeus. Zeus was ill tempered and arrogant, while Hades was mean and acted superior when he, unlike Zeus, wasn't. But, in truth? He loved them both. After all, though it was a secret from the media for reasons of privacy, they had fathered Jason Grace, Nico and Bianca di Angelo and Hazel Levesque. He loved his cousins dearly, and so did their fathers. The problems were their wifes, as they had had them outside marriage. Yeah, they were like that.

"Zeus," his mother answered, "He just found one of his daughters here, in Manhattan,"

Percy's eyes grew wide. His family on his dad's side was…adventurous. There were more affairs than he could count, but with his uncles only these four. He was excited. He was always happy to have some new family. The latest had been Tyson, his half-brother, who had a horribledisease but was amazing anyways.

"Her name's Thalia," Sally said, "and she's Jason's sister. Mother _and_ Father,"

Percy grinned, but then a thought occurred to him. _Thalia_? Wasn't that the beautiful girl with blue eyes that had been chatting with Annabeth?

"_Hello, Percy. This is my friend Thalia,"_

And those eyes…Weren't those eyes so much like Jason's?

It couldn't be, yet, how many Thalias could there be in Manhattan?

Percy excused himself and said he needed to do something. He was out of the door in a flash, only to bump into a little girl. Big blue eyes looked up at him.

Arianne was only six, with a big smile and a strange personality. She had learned to talk at four, before saying words in both English, Ancient Greek and Latin all mixed together (she had heard his brother practice for school) and she was always cooking mud pies and dancing around the place. She got mad when she lost anything at all, and she would cry at the smallest thing.

And she adored her brother.

"PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERCY!" she cried, and grabbed his legs, "Did you bring me chocolate? _Please_ tell me you brought me chocolate!"

Percy managed to disentangle her from himself, and smiled, "Sorry Arianne, I didn't. Where's Paul?"

The little girl looked at little mad at not having chocolate, but she said, "Dad's outside, calming little Claud,"

That was her nickname for one year old Claudia.

Percy said goodbye and left, saying hello and goodbye to Paul and Claudia on the street. He needed to find her.

He called Poseidon once he was outside, and begged for him to give him Annabeth's number.

"If you're so interested in this girl," he said, and Percy could _feel_ him raising his eyebrows to an empty room, "You should have asked her yourself,"  
"Dad!" Percy complained, "I need her number to ask her something important," he didn't _dare_ bring up Thalia Grace to him, he'd snap at him to leave his brother's daughter alone.

He thought he heard his dad mutter, "Ask her for a date," before he gave him the telephone number.

"Thank you," he said at last, exasperated, and hung up.

Seconds later, a voice at the other end of the line asked, "Hello?"

"Um, Annabeth?" he asked, because he was pretty sure he was talking to a man.

The man laughed, and said, "No. I'm Frederick, his father. May I ask who's calling?"

"Ah, tell her Percy Jackson needs to ask her something, please," he added the please in hope to get it quicker done.

He heard Frederick shout, "ANNABETH, STOP LEAVING YOUR PHONE _EVERYWHERE_, A GUY, SAYS HE'S PERCY JACKSON, WANTS TO ASK YOU SOMETHING!"

He felt pretty stupid, but then he heard Annabeth mutter something, and grab the phone, "Percy?" she asked, and she sounded confused, "What's wrong?"

"Remember this morning, the girl you were talking with? Thalia? Is her last name Grace, by any chance?"

Annabeth sounded perplexed, "Why do you need to know?"

"Family matters."

"Oh," Annabeth sounded a bit baffled about that answer, but said, "Yes, her last name's Grace, if you need to know,"

Percy grinned, "Thank you so much, Annabeth. Could you please give her my number and ask her to call me? Or just give me her number?"

Annabeth sounded really curious now, "Why? Are you trying to date her?, 'cause I can just know it, you know,"

Percy replied, "No, no, I…it's really weird. I'll explain tomorrow, just…please?"

Annabeth sighed, "I'll give her your number," she said.

"Thanks, Annabeth!" he smiled into the phone, "I could kiss you right now!" he said, and hung up.

He danced a bit until a girl gave him a confused look, and then blushed. He didn't really know why he was excited so much, but he really, really wanted to meet her. He wanted to know her and love her and go on camping trips together and just…have another cousin, though his reaction might have been a bit exaggerated.

He went back in the house, and Paul started talking about what a great apartment they'd find together.

* * *

Annabeth put her phone in her pocket, turned, and found her dad staring at her.

"Is he your boyfriend?" he asked, "Are you going to get married? Does he know you're a secret alien?"

Annabeth rolled his eyes, "If you must know, I work with him," she flipped her hair, "In that amazing movie I was talking about,"

Frederick smiled, beaming with pride, "You're going to be incredible in that, I know." He kissed her forehead, "You're an amazing woman who acts beautifully,"

"And who lives with her dad," she reminded him, grabbing her script, "I really need cash, dad. So shoo, I'm trying to focus on this," she shooed him, and Frederick obliged, smiling.

She only got a few lines read before she knew she had to call Thalia.

She picked up her phone, dialed the number, and waited.

"Thalia at the phone," came the voice.

"Thalia, I just got the weirdest phone call…"

She explained it all to her, while Thalia was just quiet. In the end, she sounded really small, "Annabeth, I was just about to call you. I've got news,"

"But what about Percy?" Annabeth asked.

"He's my cousin, Annabeth. I just found out who's my father. It's Zeus Olympia, Annabeth,"

Annabeth almost dropped her phone.

Her mother was Zeus Olympia's daughter, the beautiful Athena who had left her dad. What did that make Thalia? Her…aunt? Or…half aunt?

"Please say something." Thalia said, sounding desperate.

"I…I'm glad you know who your father is," she said, trying to see the positive side. "I guess Percy just found about it too,"

"Yeah," Annabeth said, "But…how come he's your cousin?"

"Oh, I just found out Zeus, Hades and Poseidon don't just, by coincidence, have the same last name. They're actually _brothers_,"

Annabeth almost threw up. Wait, wait, wait, was her grandfather Poseidon's brother? What? And was Percy, what? She didn't even knew.

Thalia and her talked for a long while after that, and when they said goodbye, Annabeth just lied on her bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking, and thinking, and thinking.

She was so numb and focused on thinking she didn't have dinner, and she just thought and thought and thought until she fell asleep.

* * *

Poseidon shouted "No! No! _No!_"

Bianca froze, halfway reaching for Rachel's jacket, and Percy sighed.

Not again.

"You have to reach for her like you aren't doing it willingly. You don't like her, remember?"

Bianca sighed, "I remember all right. But I'm an actress, Poseidon, I act normal when I'm around people I don't like,"

About half the cast looked at themselves, wondering if Bianca didn't like them, and Percy almost laughed out loud.

Poseidon frowned, "But Tamara _isn't_ an actress. _And_ she's a mute, so she has to tell us with her face,"

Bianca frowned, sighed, and jumped into character again.

"Again!" Poseidon commanded.

"And this is…Tamara," John said, a smiled on his face, "She's my sweet sister,"

Mary smiled and reached for her hand. Tamara reached too, but she was frowning slightly, and her hand trembled a bit.

"Hi, Tamara, you're beautiful, you know that?"

Tamara started moving her hands in the sign language.

The scene was recorded ten different times, until Poseidon announced he liked the first one better.

"Gosh, this just goes nowhere," Rachel sighed, slumping against the couch.

Percy shrugged, "His movies _are_ amazing,"

Rachel smiled, "I guess so,"

Today they had to film Bethany meeting John, and the cast was excited. The whole staff was, too. It was important because it was the first time Annabeth became Bethany, and they all wanted to see her.

Luke, the assistant director, started arguing really loudly with Hermes, his dad, until the man shook his head and left Luke with the word hanging. He sighed really loudly, too.

Percy leaned back on the couch, and Rachel looked at him, green eyes bright.

"You know, Percy, I –"she started, but Poseidon's booming voice said, "SCENE 23!"

Percy shrugged and got up, and Rachel did as well with a sigh.

Annabeth emerged from her changing room, and Percy almost gasped. She looked so…Bethany ish.

Her curly blonde hair, before long and flowing over her shoulders, was now in a ponytail expertly made. Her grey eyes were blue with contact lenses, and she had fake tan all over her. She was wearing almost no clothes, a really small t-shirt that was sticking to her skin, and almost inexistent shorts. Her sneakers were fashionably turned, and make up made her face completely different.

She looked so Californian Percy almost laughed.

"Do I look as ridiculous as I feel?" she asked, miserably.

Rachel nodded, and Annabeth sighed, "All for art,"

"You look so…teenager," Percy said

Annabeth rolled her eyes, then dramatically batted her eyelashes, "Geez, why don't you make me feel alive, Percy? I feel confused and I love you, I'm sure!"

Percy burst out laughing, but Artemis, a teenager who served coffees to everyone, frowned, "Not all teenagers are like that!" she complained, and Percy had to apologize.

After much of arguing and shouting (most on Poseidon's part) Annabeth, Rachel and Percy got up, and went to start filming. Poseidon shouted, and someone dimmed the lights, put the microphone closer to them, and then, they were filming.

"Bethany, this is Percy, my boyfriend,"

Percy had seen amazing acting, and wonderful actors and actresses during his life, but he had never seen a better example of _art_ as he was seeing now.

Annabeth _became_ Bethany. She was suddenly not Annabeth. She looked at paintings on John's wall Annabeth would never give a second glance, she rolled her eyes at almost everything, she wore her outfit with maximum comfort, and even her smile was different. Sort of, extra sarcastic.

She was shining.

Percy acted in a daze, trying not to pale against Annabeth's greatness. He saw a few people staring at her, and he enjoyed every minute of Annabeth's wonder. He saw her expression change after John began to talk, how she seemed to relax, her eyes widening, blue so obvious, and he saw her _melt_ before him so beautifully…he saw her glance at Mary, alarmed, and trying to act like she didn't care. She was acting as Bethany who was acting as if she didn't like John. It was, in a word, exceptional.

When Poseidon said "Cut," quietly, the room burst into applause, and Annabeth looked confused. Percy shook her hand nervously, and Rachel smiled at her.

"I'm so glad you chose Drama," he was saying, not really knowing what he meant, "You are splendid. I'm so glad to work with you…You're amazing…I hope you'll believe me, because _that_ acting…"

Annabeth looked overwhelmed, and people went to congratulate her, but Percy never dropped her hand, his face red with emotion.

He loved acting so much, and seeing Annabeth act had made him fall in love with it all over again.

He took his hand away after a while, and Annabeth smiled at him nervously.

"She was beautiful," he said to Rachel as they were making their way to their rooms to change and grab their stuff.

Rachel's face darkened, her smile faded, but Percy wasn't paying attention.

* * *

Annabeth spent the ride home in a daze, and when Luke looked at her with a confused smile and asked what was wrong with her, she only whispered, "They congratulated me,"

She could still see Percy smiling at her, big sea-green eyes looking right at her, shaking her hand and saying such lovely things. She didn't understand how he could look so lovingly at her in that outfit, with those horrible contact lenses. She had looked pretty weird, not really because of the clothes. After all, a teenager could wear those and, with confidence, look fantastic; but she didn't really wear that type of clothes, and she had looked awkward and clumsy. She hadn't believed how everyone seemed enchanted by her, but she was so completely proud of herself now.

She wanted no more than to show Percy's smile to everyone who had ever said something bad about her acting and had insulted her.

Luke dropped her at her home, and said, "Uh, you _were_ great, you know." He handed her a card, with his name, telephone number, and ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, WORKED WITH POSEIDON OLYMPIA in big letters, and said, "Call me," before driving away.

Annabeth got into the house, put the card in her pocket, and was about to shout at her dad how wonderful her day had been, when she saw a woman with her father.

She was beautiful, she supposed, with black hair and brown eyes, plus pale skin and a suggesting figure filled with curves. She was holding her father's hand as they were sitting on the couch, and he was laughing about something.

"…Dad?" Annabeth asked, lost, her good day ruined.

In her mind, a memory of young and beautiful Athena surfaced, and she saw her mother kissing her father goodbye as she placed baby Annabeth into his arms.

"Oh," Frederick turned and noticed her, "Annabeth, this is Helen. Helen, this is my daughter Annabeth,"

Helen glared at her, "The one who was oh so smart?" she asked,

Frederick smiled at her, "Yes. Annabeth, do you want to –?"

"I have to go," she said, feeling awkward. Gosh, her dad with a woman? It was just weird. She was already twenty, shouldn't her father accept he wasn't going to marry again? Or, at least, meet someone as wonderful as Annabeth's mom? "I have to…uh, talk to Percy,"

It was the first excuse that came out of her mouth, but she suddenly remembered she had to tutor him today, and grabbed her bag before running out of the door.

She didn't even give her father a chance to talk to her.

She got in the first bus that stopped, and frantically opened her bag to see if she had her books. Thankfully, she did. She got out of the bus, walked quickly to the library, and put her hand in her pocket to put the card in her bag, but she realized she had lost it.

Oh, well.

She asked for Percy again, and the same teenager smiled at her, "Hey, you've survived. He's already here. Table to the left."

She saw where she was pointing and yes, there was Percy. She calmly sat down next to him, and he glanced up from the game he was playing on his iPhone.

"Hello. Sorry I took so long," she excused herself with a smile.

"It's okay," he smiled back, "I was thinking all the time about your magnifi –magnife –magnifita –magnificent, performance," he finally said.

Annabeth smiled tiredly. She had a lot of work.

Today, Percy seemed a bit frustrated when he got something wrong, "I…I mean, it's just so difficult!" he sounded a bit tired too, and Annabeth couldn't blame him. His acting had also been great.

But Annabeth pressed on, and when they were finished, Percy regarded her with a smile, "I believe I was a bit insufferable right now. How can I make it up to you?"

Annabeth started to say that she needed nothing, but thought better of it, "A coffee would be nice. Has Thalia called you yet?" she added

Percy nodded, but didn't say more, and Annabeth didn't press on.

He stood up and said goodbye to the teenager, said something else that Annabeth didn't catch, and they were out of the library.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked, spreading his arms, as if offering Manhattan to her.

"Um, how about _Irina's_?" she had heard about the place, and it seemed nice enough. Percy nodded and walked her to a blue car.

Actually, a blue beauty.

Frederick's love for cars had rubbed off a bit on Annabeth, and she couldn't help but gasp as she saw the beautiful thing. It was so unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was amazing, open to the air, with a futurist air because of its rounded shape and the shade of blue.

"It's amazing!" she saw an inscription on the left side, _Blackjack_.

"You like it?" Percy said with a smile, "I never liked cars that much, but my dad got it for me on my sixteen birthday. Totally made up for almost burning my kitchen,"

Annabeth wondered how Poseidon Olympia had almost burned a kitchen, but got into the car without saying anything.

He drove her to the café, talking about the movie and math and how complicated some women's shoes were, which Annabeth agreed with. She laughed at his imitation of Octavian, the creepy journalist, and when they got out of the blue beauty, Annabeth found herself enjoying everything greatly.

They sat on a table outside, and he talked about the weather while Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"What?" he said, frowning.

"Talking about the weather is the most common thing to say when you don't know what to say," she explained.

"Well," Percy said, "I don't know what to say, actually. Let's talk about you, for a change. Where do you live?"

"Oh, this is starting to sound stalkerish."

"It sounded even more like that when you _asked me if I had a car_,"

Annabeth laughed, and they continued to chat for a long, long while, after their coffees were done and they had laughed their insides away.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of having fun, reality came back, and Percy said, "Well, I had a great time, Annabeth, but I fear I have to go,"  
_Don't leave_, Annabeth wanted to say. She rarely had so much fun like this, especially with a guy. Instead, she cleared her throat and said, "Yes, I had a lot of fun too," she said, but inside she was thinking: _was this a date? Am I implying I want to date him?_ She wasn't sure she wanted to date anyone now, least of all her co-worker, so she said, "I'm glad I'm your friend, Percy, you are great,"

Percy seemed to beam at that, and he asked her if she needed a drive home. Since she actually did, she accepted, and she let him drive her.

On the drive to her house, she remembered Helen, and she was suddenly nervous about facing her dad. "Um, can I ask where are you going now?"

Percy shrugged, "Sure. I'm just going to the mall to buy something for my sister,"

Huh. She didn't know he had a sister. She thought about joining him, but she might sound stupid. After all, she had already spent the whole afternoon with him, so she said, "Can you drop me off at Thalia's? I'll give you the address."

Percy accepted, and, in ten minutes, she was in front of Thalia's apartment. Percy waited for her, in case Thalia wasn't home, and she pressed the doorbell.

Thalia's voice said, "Thalia here,"

Annabeth quickly asked her to please let her stay with her for a while, and her best friend obliged. She waved goodbye to Percy and stepped inside the apartment.

Her best friend had papers all over her bed, and her laptop was opened and on. Everything around her white room was a mess, and pictures of Jason Grace (who she knew because of his modeling career) were hanged everywhere. Her hair was tied in a bun, and she looked tired.

"Hello, Annabeth," she greeted, "Why exactly did you need to stay here for?"

"My dad just brought a woman over," she explained as she sat on the bed, "And I just couldn't go back without feeling like I'm interrupting or something,"  
Thalia looked up from her laptop, sighing, "And _that's_ what stopped you? I'm sure she's nice, your dad's a good guy. Besides, how did you get here? The bus doesn't stop here,"

"Percy drove me,"

"What?" Thalia asked, closing her laptop, "My _cousin_ drove my _best friend_ and I didn't even know?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "You're exaggerating. I tutored him, we had a coffee, and he drove me here. That's it. I'm not kissing your cousin behind your back, Thalia,"

She just shrugged, "He _is_ attractive,"

"Thalia!"

"Sorry, but that he's family now doesn't mean I'm suddenly blind," Thalia raised her eyebrows. "Anyway, if you're here, help me with this,"

She gestured to the papers.

In the end, Annabeth spent an hour solving Thalia's case to make it real, and helped her fill the blanks on her history report.

"I don't understand why you work in the summer so much," she scolded her friend, "You need to relax. The feminist cause isn't going anywhere,"

Thalia looked like a child, with her funny outfit of pants and a dress. "But I'm helping people!"

"You also need to sleep," Annabeth insisted, and Thalia pouted, "I'm a legal adult. I can drink alcohol."

Annabeth forced her friend to tidy her room, and Thalia asked how the coffee went.

"Oh, it was really nice," she said, "He's really funny. And it's nice to have a guy friend to hang out with,"

Thalia smiled, "You look great. Oh, and how was the acting?"

Annabeth smiled widely, "It was amazing,"

* * *

Luke looked up, "Are you sure I should do this?"

The man, he'd said his name was Kronos, smiled, "Of course, Luke. This movie has to whither and die. You'll become a director, your dad will fail, and that girl you fancy can be yours. Everything you've wanted. And you'll also get rid of Poseidon and that son of his,"

Luke bit his lip, "Okay, I'll do it,"

Kronos smiled again, "I knew you would,"

* * *

**Like the ending? I hope you did! Tell me your thoughts, maybe I'll update tomorrow too.**

**-ChocolateIsMyDoom**


	4. Fighting and Waiting

**Hello! Sorry for the long wait, here you have chapter 4. A bit shorter than the others, but I just really needed this in between one so next one would be better. I hope you like it.**

* * *

"Rhea loves _me_ best!" Zeus insisted.

"No, she loves _me_, best!" Poseidon countered

Zeus rolled his eyes, "You are so childish, brother,"

"You're the little sibling!"

They continued to argue for about an hour. Zeus finally snapped, punched his brother in the face, and left, his suitcase in his hand.

Poseidon groaned. Great. Now Amphitrite would kill him for getting into an argument with his producer, even if he _was_ his brother. He needed Zeus, with his money and his power. People rumored that he owned three quarters of the world's money. They were wrong. He held four quarters.

Poseidon buried his face in his hands, feeling that even the thought of Amphitrite in that summer dress couldn't cheer him up. He tidied up his office, sighing, and decided to go home early.

It was such a horrible day.

* * *

Luke smiled. They were so stupid. He sneaked into Zeus' office, silent and sure, and turned on the computer. He found the file easily and clicked on it. Yes. With a click, he'd just announced to the public that Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were the main characters of the new film, Love at Bay. If something horrible were to happen to any of them, like a violent murder…the film would crash.

He was smiling as he went outside.

* * *

_Percy's lips were salty. She buried her hands in his hair, kissing him deeply. His hands were on her t-shirt, taking it off. Percy was already taking his pants off –_

Rachel woke, startled, and shook her head. Her beautiful sheets were dirty and wet with cold sweat, and she felt sick. She had been having a weird dream, yet it hadn't been disgusting. She was attracted to Percy, that much she'd guess, but it was a stupid crush, not worth chasing it further, as he was a co-worker _and_ the son of her boss.

And yet, he was handsome and nice, not like most men were, and she was dying to kiss those lips away. She moaned. What a hard decision: screw your co-worker, or not.

She couldn't. Not _really_. Besides, Percy didn't even seem to notice she liked him, and if he wasn't interested, as she thought he was, she'd only be an unwelcome girl.

She got dressed hastily, realizing that she wouldn't be able to sleep again, and was out of the door and into the night in minutes.

* * *

Percy was walking around in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. He sat down on a bench, thinking. For some reason, he'd been thinking about Annabeth. About her, and about the coffee they'd shared that afternoon. It was just…great. He felt like he finally had a friend since Grover met him in sixth grade.

He leaned forward a bit, feeling the night air calm him and soothe him.

He was about to go back to his bed when he heard Annabeth's clear voice behind him, "Percy?"

He turned and had to almost keep himself from staring. Even if he hadn't thought of her _that way_ till then, Annabeth was gorgeously cute. Her curls were all tangled up and badly brushed, and her grey eyes were lazy. She was wearing a wool robe that was wrapped around her, but you could see her pajamas.

"Um, hi Annabeth," he said, feeling stupid in his black jeans and shirt. He probably still had drool somewhere. Ugh.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, and Percy nodded. She sighed, "My friend dropped me here when I feel asleep. I just love her,"

Percy chuckled, "Join the night club," he said, and Annabeth sat down next to him.

"Percy? Annabeth?" came Rachel's surprised voice.

Unlike them, Rachel was wearing actual clothes: paint stained pants and a leather jacket. She was staring incredulously at them.

"I can't sleep, and she has nowhere to go. We're the night club girl, join or shoo," Percy sang.

Rachel raised her eyebrows at his weak attempt at humor, and said, "I can't sleep either. I'm going down the street. Come?"

The both said no, and Rachel continued without them.

"You know, Percy," Annabeth began, but a shadow moved, "What was that?"

"I don't know," Percy shrugged.

"Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet littleeee Percyyy…" sung a little, soft, voice.

Annabeth stood up, and Percy followed her example, "What?" he said, surprised.

"Listeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…"

Annabeth covered her ears with her hands, "I feel terrible," she whimpered.

Percy did too, "Let's get out of here," he grabbed her hand, and Annabeth and him ran.

In front of them was a woman with dark brown hair. Her eyes seemed to be black, and her teeth were pointed. She was wearing a black body suit, and her skin was tanned. "Helloooooooooooooo," she said.

"She's Scylla!" Annabeth cried out, and grabbed his hand, pushing him away, but the woman grabbed Percy's foot. Percy screamed at Annabeth to run, but she kicked the woman in the face, who let him go, and they both ran.

But they didn't get too far away before another woman stopped them. Her hair was completely white, and her eyes were brown. Her teeth were small, but they were pointed too. She was wearing furs, and she suddenly jumped at Percy, kissing him furiously.

"Caribdis!" Annabeth screamed as she tried to throw her away from Percy.

Percy felt her lips, and she was _sucking_ him, not kissing him. It was like she was trying to drink him away. He kicked her and jumped away, and Annabeth grabbed him, terror in her eyes as she took a knife out of her boots and stabbed the woman.

She cried out and Percy and Annabeth ran, "Call 911!" he managed to choke out, and Annabeth cried as she picked up the phone, and dialed frantically.

She was sobbing, and Percy was holding her as she called. She shook in his arms, and Percy felt completely wet, for some reason. He looked down on himself, confused, and saw that everything was red.

Blood.

But he wasn't really hurt. He had a small scratch on his elbow, he was tired, and he had lip marks from Caribdis, but that was it.

Annabeth.

When he heard Annabeth say, "Yes? Yes, please help us…been attacked…tried to kill us…please come,"

He was a bit surprised when Annabeth said his address instead of trying to find the name of the street they were in. Annabeth hung up, and Percy said, "You're bleeding,"

It was true. She had a huge gash on the back of her leg.

Annabeth seemed to shrink, "She…_clawed_ me."

Percy didn't need to no more. He picked her up in his arms, and ran towards his home.

He didn't look back to see if Scylla or Caridbdis were close. He didn't even try to hear them. He could feel himself getting wet with Annabeth's dark blood. The actress was losing consciousness and seemed to be a bit delirious. She kept muttering Scylla's name. Percy didn't know what to do.

_She saved my life_.

He arrived at his home and rang the doorbell, gripping Annabeth tight in his arms.

"Please," he whispered, "Please, be okay."

As he saw his mother's face staring at him, opening the door with a cry, he heard a scream.

* * *

Rachel had continued going down the street, trying not to think about Annabeth and Percy Annabeth and Percy Annabeth and Percy together, but it hadn't really worked out.

After all, why wouldn't he be with the blonde, smiling, grey eyed beauty? Why'd he want a paint stained, freckled, girl?

She was so immersed in her misery she didn't even hear the screams until it was too late.

"Call 911!" she heard Percy cry out, and turned, horrified.

Percy and Annabeth were in an embrace, their faces both shining with tears. Annabeth's hair was horrible, and her jacket was filled with red paint.

No. Rachel knew better than that. Don't delude yourself, she forced herself to see.

Blood was staining both of them, and yet she couldn't see anything.

She ran towards them, cursing herself for not being able to be faster, and almost cried out when they started running away (or at least, Percy, Annabeth in his arms), but she was out of breath.

"My, my, Rachel. You're the other one, aren't you?" whispered a soft voice.

Rachel turned –and screamed.

The woman with the bottomless pits for eyes bit her.

And yet she fought. She couldn't die here. She pushed away, desperate, screaming in pain and agony and who knows what she couldn't believe it. She was crying, and she gasped when she saw her arm with biting marks and blood and saliva. She started running backwards –and knocked into another woman.

This one had white hair, and it seemed to bury her under soft snow as she sucked Rachel.

Her mouth met the woman's, and then she was taking all the saliva, and then she was pressing her lips to Rachel's skin, her whole body.

Rachel couldn't fight no more.

She went limp in her arms, her last thought before that being _I'm dead_.

* * *

"RACHEL!"

Pain was in every cell of his being, clouding his mind and killing his thoughts. His blood ran full of adrenaline, his eyes filled with fury. His fist clenched, her roared and threw himself at Caribdis.

The woman, startled, dropped the girl on the floor. Percy thought he heard a _crack_, and more fury burst inside him, mixed with worry and horror. He punched the woman in the face, and was terrified to see she just smiled her evil smile.

But Percy was ready this time. He kicked her, punched her, ducked when she swung, but it was not use. Scylla grabbed him from behin –

And then the strength of her arms was gone.

"Don't you dare touch my son," Sally's voice ran sharp and clear, loud and proud.

But Percy only shouted, "Get Rachel!" before sirens started sounding.

Emergencies. They'd answered.

But before they could get her, Caribdis' eyes widened, she ducked below his legs, grabbed Scylla, and disappeared into the night.

Percy only stared, numb, at himself. He was so tired…

"Percy?" a voice he knew called. He only had time to cock his head before he fell into his arms.

* * *

"No!" Poseidon shouted, "No! No, no, no!"

Sally stared at him. She could feel herself starting to blush, starting to turn away, to look anywhere but his beautiful face, to listen to anything but his seductive voice. She loved Paul more than she ever had loved Poseidon, but dating Poseidon Olympia wasn't something a woman forgot easily. That, and the memory of his kiss.

"Yes," Sally forced herself to remain focused. "They will be incapacitated for a few days, in our son's case, but Annabeth and Rachel are a disaster. The poor Rachel fought them alone and almost died, she hit her head pretty bad, and Ms. Chase was bleeding on my carpet for ten minutes before we managed to make it stop."

Poseidon groaned, "Great. My movie is ruined."

"Not necessarily," Sally said quickly, "Percy will be up in no time, and all that solo scenes that you haven't done yet can be filmed. Annabeth will be ready as soon as her father signs the hospital records and contacts the police about the killers. Rachel, well, Rachel's the hard one. Her father is demanding we put some kind of guards around her, but he won't pay for it. Her mother's being a bit more nice and open, and we've got to take that, Poseidon. But I think you probably have some more actors in store, and since you've publically announced the three leading roles, well, there's no going back now,"  
"I publically _what_?" Poseidon shouted. "I did no such thing,"

Sally sighed, took out her Smartphone, and signed in to the film's official website, and showed the picture of the three of the actors to Poseidon.

He paled, "But I…I didn't…"

"Whatever you did or didn't is not of my concern, Poseidon," she softened, "You should visit Percy. He asked for you,"

"Fine. You can go,"

Sally leaved, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Annabeth felt horrible.

Her head was pounding, her leg hurt, and she felt miserable.

"Yep. She's up alright,"

Percy Jackson, annoying since 1991.

Annabeth groaned, whimpered, and shut up. She was struggling to remember, her mind slow and stupid, when, she did.

Caribdis, sucking Percy's lip like she was a vacuum. Scylla, her sharp nails cutting her leg. Falling on a blue carpet, bleeding and sobbing as a woman helped her, as a middle aged guy who looked like a movie star shouted. Percy, running out of the door while the woman screamed at him to come back. The woman chasing after him, coming back later. A man, of about twenty five, with red curly hair and a miserable expression, carrying Rachel Elizabeth Dare in his arms, and Percy being carried by a woman with a red cross badge.

Annabeth whimpered again.

"It's all going to be alright." Percy whispered, and she opened her eyes.

Sea-green took her breath away.

So huge, so honest, so open, so…

…was Percy _worried_?

She had never noticed Percy like _this_. She had never noticed how his pulse seemed to be reflected on his veins and how his mouth looked beautiful and delicious. She had never noticed that his face was a mask of beauty ready to be taken off by a kiss, a caress, a compliment.

She had never noticed that his hair was the shade of black that made the night look like the morning sun; never noticed that his eyes moved with the waves of the ocean in a way that made it hypnotizing.

Could it be possible that her, Annabeth Chase, was _wanting_ Percy in this way?

She blinked, looked away, and instantly regretted it. Her head swam, and she whimpered.

"Hey, take it easy. I was barely hurt, thanks to you, Annabeth, but you were hurt pretty bad. I'm glad you're waking up."

"How long…How long was I asleep?" Annabeth said, struggling to sound strong.

"Um, about a day or so. They kept healing and disinfecting your leg, but you had a strong emotional night, so I guess you just needed the rest. Rachel's another matter. She had a concussion. She'll be fine soon enough, but that doesn't mean I'm not worried."

He sighed. He looked like a frustrated father, taking care of so many children and worrying constantly over all of them. Cute.

Gosh, she thought, I must be _drooling_ over him like a stupid teenager. Get a hold of yourself.

"Did they…Did they get Scylla and Caribdis?"

Percy shook his head. He was wearing a suit. He looked a bit _different_, as if…

"Oh. Yeah. These clothes? I just came back from talking to my –to Poseidon, and they told me you were waking up, so I tried running here." He grinned, "I almost ripped my jacket on your bed metal thing,"

She rolled her eyes. But it was nice, that he'd come here to see her waking up.

Percy looked suddenly somber, "I'm so grateful, Annabeth. You saved me there. I was just…stupid, I know, and you saved me."

"It's okay," Annabeth found herself saying, "You're my friend, that's what people do for their friends when two killers come in the middle of the night,"

Percy's smile was as big as an ocean.

* * *

Luke grunted. They were so disgustingly friendly with each other. Well, that would change alright. He had a plan, a plan that would make them sink to their knees and beg for him to help them.

"Hi, you're that guy I saw at the café,"

Luke turned. Blue eyes looked at him, shining. A beautiful girl with black hair and a warm smile was talking to him. Yes, this was the girl he'd liked so much at that café. The one Kronos seemed to think he _loved_.

"Um, yes, that would be me," he smiled, charming as always.

"I'm Thalia." She said, then added, "My friend's in the room down the hall. She's healing,"

An excuse. Quick.

"Luke. My uncle got sick. I'm here because we take turns at being always with him."

"Oh well. I hope he gets better." She seemed kind of nervous, and Luke noticed that, under the dress she wore, she was also wearing shorts. Weird, but cute.

"Hey, would you like a coffee? My cousin arrived ten minutes ago, I think I can leave now,"

Thalia smiled, "Sure,"

* * *

**Yay! I really hope you liked it. Review if you want to, you're all really nice.**

**Chapter 5 will be coming as soon as I can.**

**-ChocolateIsMyDoom**


	5. Healing and Tasting

**Hello again. This is the chapter you have all been waiting for...the Percabeth begins! Before there were only subtle hints, but now, well, be prepared for a bomb. I really hope you like it.**

* * *

It wasn't like Annabeth to get drunk.

In college, most of the people on her class got drunk on parties. Drunk in alcohol, adrenaline, ecstasy, and what they thought was love.

And yet, Annabeth wasn't one of those 'most people'. She had only once before felt that incoherency in her thoughts, the fog that made her thoughts blurry, the lack of balance, the dizziness, and the vomit.

And yet, as they days passed, it felt like she was drunk to Annabeth.

Whenever Percy asked and honest question, she would snap at him, drowning in confusion, uncertainty, and feelings that seemed like they were not returned.

She felt dizzy whenever he smiled at her from the chair, and she thought that, if she'd had a heart monitor, Percy would've noticed the gigantic crush she had on him.

She didn't feel easy and balanced and graceful when he helped her stand to go to the bathroom or something. She always just feel clumsy and stupid.

If he doesn't do something about it, I'm going to kiss him, she thought one day. Then she was filled with shock.

When they finally gave her permission to go home, after four days in the hospital, she was glad. She wasn't sure she could take anymore of Percy. It wasn't like she wanted herself not to have a boyfriend, or anything; but it was probably better if she didn't make out with her co-worker.

Her dad scooped her up in his arms like when she was six when she arrived home, and Annabeth couldn't help but smile. She loved him so much, even if he _was_ flirting with women behind her back. It wasn't like she was his wife, but she deserved to know, didn't she?

She felt tired and hungry and terrible, but she was much better than before. Her leg had been completely healed, with only a tiny, almost invisible scar to prove it had been there, and she was supposed to talk to a therapist about her 'traumatic experience', but she was okay.

She watched him blink, and her dad said, "I love you, Annabeth. You must know that,"

She didn't roll her eyes. She had felt so alone since she started college, since her father had decided that he'd told her enough of Athena, since she had been picked as the most brilliant student in her year, and the people in her class had ignored her. She just clung so tightly to her dad as if she was going to break and he was the only one who was holding her together.

And maybe he was.

* * *

Percy didn't feel like acting, which was strange.

He'd always felt like acting, always felt like he knew what he was doing when he moved all of him to become another person. He'd always loved going on stage and saying his lines. It'd been the only thing that didn't make him nervous. He'd always felt calm and collected.

But he was a big bag of nerves right now.

Why? Because Rachel freaking Elizabeth Dare had just kissed him.

He'd gone to her hospital bed, smiling and telling her she'd recover, even though he knew she was sleeping, and then, as he leaned down to pick up his pen, she'd gasped his name and opened her eyes, throwing her arms towards him and pressing her mouth to his.

It had been weird, because then the actress seemed to realize what she'd done, and Percy was pretty sure she just pretended to be asleep.

He'd gone later to Annabeth, to tell her to take it easy, as she was going home, and he hadn't been able to stop the feeling that he'd, somehow, betrayed her by kissing Rachel. Which was strange, since they weren't dating, they weren't even lovers. It was a complete mess, and his head felt like seaweed was filling in it instead of a brain.

So no, he did not, thank you very much, felt like acting.

"Percy, I…you need to _act_," Poseidon insisted

Percy _dropped_ on the couch, slamming his head into the furs, trying to forget his existence, "Take Bianca. Take freaking Reyna and put her with Aphrodite. I can't fucking act, dad, I'm feeling like crap. And I'm tired of doing solo scenes. Tomorrow I want to act with Hermes. Heck, I'd act with _Drew_. Just please, don't make me go alone,"

Poseidon sighed, sitting on his desk, "Perseus, you have to understand…"

"I was attacked, dad. The same night you let that information leak. You think that is a freaking coincidence? I think not. So yeah, I understand. I'm not acting alone, 'cause I was alone at the end and Grover had to hold me because I couldn't freaking walk, okay? I'm a bit tired of ac –"

A knock on the door. Percy looked over to it, instantly dropping the conversation, and Poseidon cleared his throat and said, "Yes?"

It was like a bomb going off.

The door opened, and Percy saw Aphrodite, her beautiful blonde hair, her huge, enormous, _gigantic_, grey eyes, that seemed like the center of a storm. Her skin was tanned and it seemed to glow. She was wearing an amazing sleeveless white summer dress, and she looked, a bit like Annabeth.

"Poseidon? Chase is here. She apparently wants to act right now. She doesn't mind."

"Oh, of course." He turned to Percy, "We'll continue this later. You _will_ be expected to act with Ms. Chase, and that's final."

He left, Aphrodite standing there, holding the door. When Poseidon was gone, a smile formed on her pink lips, "Now Percy, I've wanted to talk to you for a very long time,"

Percy swallowed. "Yes?"

"Well, I've noticed you and Annabeth's _connection_,"

Oh crap. She found out about the tutoring.

"I mean, the way you and her _look _at each other, the times you visited her in the hospital? It couldn't be more obvious. You're in love!"

Percy stared. He had never felt more confused, "What? We've known each other for a week."

Aphrodite sat beside him on the couch, smelling like perfume, and said, "Why, love knows no _time_! You fancy her, or, at least, you think so." She leaned in, her face inches away from Percy's, "But the truth is _so_ much different than that," she giggled and kissed him, "You're in love,"

Percy blinked, startled, but when he opened his eyes, Aphrodite was gone. He was used to being kissed by the beautiful woman, every freaking guy on the cast was. Kisses didn't mean much to the woman, and she gave them freely. But still, he'd never heard her like this.

As if she was an obsessed fangirl or something.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind, but it was stupid. He couldn't put anything together.

He got up and walked, towards the stage.

Towards Annabeth.

* * *

"There you are,"

Thalia looked up, startled, and found Luke's blue eyes staring at her, twinkling like two blue stars. He'd returned from the toilet. She had the unexpected desire to pull him towards her and kiss him, but she forced her hands to stay put.

"Here I am," she agreed, and Luke sat beside her, and he looked at her like she was the most strange thing in the world, "What?"

"I didn't expect you to come. I mean, we barely know anything of each other,"

Thalia shrugged, "Hey, good time to start,"

It all happened so quickly.

They talked for what seemed like hours, of them, of everything. She told him about Annabeth, he told her about Annabeth too.

"Man, I never thought she'd be there for a role. She seemed too young,"

"Annabeth's a miracle," she breathed, "She really is,"

And then, after what seemed like minutes of just staring at each other, his lips fell on hers. She gasped into his mouth, not surprised but still surprised. She buried her hands in his hair, forgetting men as she thought of them sometimes, and then he broke apart, breathing heavily.

"Everyone's staring at us,"

Thalia looked around the café, discovering that yes, in fact, everyone _was_ staring at them, and giggled, which was strange of her.

He drove her home, glancing at her like she was a jewel, and she felt so precious she wanted to scream to all the stupid men she fought that _this_, this was a man.

He even kissed her before she got out of the car.

She could have smiled seductively, told him to come into her apartment, but she didn't. It was too soon for _that_. Even a make out session seemed kind of hurried.

She smiled as she fell in love.

* * *

"Hi, Bethany," John grinned.

Bethany's blue eyes seemed to shine.

"Hi, John." She sat on a stool, facing him, and she felt the sexual tension right there.

John just smiled, "So, Mary sent you?"

Bethany crumbled. Right. Mary. Sweet Mary. How had she gotten the only guy Bethany loved?

Trying to look more beautiful instead of hot, she was wearing a white t-shirt that made her blonde hair look silver, and her skirts was longer than the ones she was used to. And yet, John looked at her like a sister, not like a lover.

_I love you_, she wanted to scream, _why can't you love me back?_

But she knew why. Mary.

Mary, with her green eyes and her smile and her _everything_. It was so unfair, that she'd got the guy…

Then Bethany suddenly saw as Annabeth, and saw John as Percy, and she felt something like, oh _gods_, was that her stomach? She felt like vomiting. She just felt so nervous…

"Annabeth?"  
With a pang, Annabeth realized she'd completely tuned out. "Sorry," she blushed.

"Again!" Poseidon demanded.

Annabeth heard the _click_ of someone turning the light on, and then everything was mayhem.

The ceiling fell.

Literally.

All the lights, wires, pieces of metal and wood and all that held the ceiling together, just fell on everyone.

Annabeth heard screams 0.2 seconds after it happened, and closed her eyes, preparing herself to die, trying to cover herself, though she knew it was impossible.

But nothing happened. Screams, alarms and cries continued, but she was unharmed. She opened her eyes, hesitantly, and gaped as she saw Percy.

An enormous piece of black painted wood had been on top of them, and it would have killed her, had Percy not…held his arms up.

He was, literally, holding the ceiling.

He was gripping at it, his face into a frown, looking like he was about to drop, and Annabeth got out of the wood's range quickly. She heard a gasp, and then the piece fell, and Percy collapsed, breathing heavily.

"Percy," she cried, and went to help him. "You stupid idiot,"

He sighed, "And here I was, thinking I'd saved your life,"

"You are the most infuriating person I've ever known," she didn't know what she was saying. She just felt like she was so angry, so _angry_, that he could've died trying to save her. "You could have broken your arms and your neck. If you'd held on to it for a minute more…"

"But I didn't," he held up his hands, filled with splinters, bloody, and touched her cheek.

Annabeth didn't know she was crying until her contact fell off. She didn't care.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, tired, and Annabeth said, "You mindless bastard,"

She kissed him.

Fire exploded all around her, Percy's desperate mouth fighting to get more of her, to _feel_ her, to touch her, to be kissing her, to _taste_ her. And Annabeth wasn't any different.

She had never felt more alive than she felt there, with destruction around her and the ceiling destroyed, the blue sky above them as they gave themselves to the other.

"Percy! Annabeth –Oh,"

Silena, Juniper, Drew, Clarisse, the big woman who was Chris's, a nice guy from the crew, girlfriend, and the Stolls looked at them, Annabeth's face inches still from Percy's.

Surprisingly, it was ill-tempered Clarisse who spoke first. Her face broke into a smile, and she said, "Well, it's about time,"

* * *

_Colors. Images. Faces._

_everything is out of focus and she can't she can't can't she can't concentrate(she can't can't can't)_

_everything is different. all is colors. why is she seeing Percy why is she seeing Annabeth why does her head hurts why are blue eyes and sandy hair everywhere she looks_

_she doesn't know doesn't know doesn't know everything is collapsing the ceiling is falling what is wrong what is wrong why uh ah what the hell is wrong with her_

_she sees percy and annabeth kissing under the blue blue so blue too blue too much like those eyes sky, and then_

Rachel woke up, gasping for air.

* * *

**Did you like it? I certainly hope so! If you review, I'll update much faster, I just really want to read what you're thinking.**

**-ChocolateIsMyDoom**


	6. Arguments and Meetings

**Hi! I worked really hard on this chapter, I really hope you like it. Now, read on!**

* * *

Aphrodite frowned, "But…'Thena…"  
"My _name _ is _A_thena Olympia, Aphrodite," the woman said sharply, "Not ' 'Thena'. And no, I shall take no 'buts' from you,"

The beautiful brunette's lip trembled, "Athena, they're perfect! How can you not see –?"  
"I _do _see! That is the problem," Athena roared, "They are disgustingly smitten with each other, and it is sick. No son of that fishhead will be touching my precious Annabeth. Malcolm and her sisters are the only thing I have, and they will not be contaminated with more Olympian blood,"

Aphrodite snarled, "They are beautiful, not disgusting, and I will do everything I can to get them together!"

Athena spat at her, and Aphrodite glanced down at herself, open mouthed.

"You can try," she said before she disappeared, closing the door behind her.

Aphrodite grit her teeth.

* * *

"Oh no. Tell me you did _not_," Thalia urged.

"Thalia!" Annabeth blushed. "Please!"

"I _so _knew you were kissing him behind my back. I knew it." Thalia said.

"Well…" Annabeth tried to play for time, "You're kissing my director's AD behind _my_ back, so,"

The black haired, blue eyed lawyer blushed like a giant tomato, "Luke's really sweet,"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "So is Percy,"

Thalia smiled, "Is he a good kisser?"

The blonde smirked and nodded, and her friend squealed with delight, "So, are you dating now?"

"I'm not sure," Annabeth said, feeling self-conscious, "He was taken to some guy called Will so they could fix his hands, and I haven't seen him since. But I guess we're more-than-friends-now."

"Don't trust that," Thalia said quickly, "I barely know my cousin, but he's oblivious as heck. He probably thinks he was going to die and you were giving him something nice to take with him."

"That does sound like Percy. Oh well, I have to visit Rachel. She just got discharged from the hospital and she's pretty confused. We have to tell her the set's destroyed and all that."

Thalia smiled, "I'll take you,"

* * *

"I'm seeing things," Rachel whispered as she stared at the painting.

In it was a beautiful man with sandy hair and blue eyes. His face had a scar on one side, and he seemed to be scowling. He was grabbing a woman's hand.

Annabeth's hand.

She could make out her gorgeous blonde hair falling over her shoulders, filled with dirt and blue and black powder, soaked with water, wet. Her grey eyes looking up at the man's face, a knife in her hand, red with blood.

And behind the both of them, the lean shape of a black haired beauty, blue eyes so _electric_, and Percy, her beautiful Percy, was grabbing the black haired girl, her mouth open like she was shouting, both of their eyes wide.

She'd been having so many dreams.

Rachel shuddered and curled up into a ball. She was going mad after the incident with Scylla and Caribdis.

She had to stop talking to herself, too.

She wanted to rip the painting to pieces, to break it so nobody could see it, but before she could, her father's voice rang sharp and clear, startling her.

"There's a boy at the door for you. Says his name is Percy Jackson,"

Rachel ran down the stairs, two at a time, to find stunning Percy looking at her like a god looked at a mortal. And he did look like a god might look. His hair was expertly combed, his eyes so green and shiny. His smile was honest, and he was wearing jeans and a shirt that had a few buttons open at the top, showing his jawline. He was wearing some sort of bandages on his hands, but it only made him look tougher and stronger.

Meanwhile, Rachel was still green and pale from spending time in the hospital. Her red hair was a rat's nest, her emerald eyes jumpy and sleepy. There were bags under her eyes, and her clothes were stained with paint.

She was wearing freaking bunny slippers. Great move, Rachel.

"Hi," she said, feeling awkward all of the sudden.

"Hello, Rachel. I was walking around with my er…friend Hazel and I thought we should see how you're doing,"

Now Rachel could see 'Hazel'.

Her heart dropped.

She was so…beautiful, in a delicate, princess way. Her brown curls were darker than her skin, which was hard, and her eyes were completely golden. She had nice, pink lips, and she was wearing a black t-shirt that stuck to her skin and tight jeans, making her small waist even smaller, and making her look even more attractive. Although she couldn't be less than eighteen, she looked about sixteen.

"Hello, Rachel!" the girl's smile was pearly white, "Percy has told me all about what happened. I hope you're feeling better,"

Rachel smiled half-heartedly, "Come in. Also, Percy, why are there bandages on your hands?"

Hazel glanced at Percy with a smile, "You didn't tell her. And later you yell at me when I keep these things from you,"

"Hazel! You know I always need to know if you're hurt," he sounded hurt himself, "But it's no good to Rachel to worry about me,"

Hazel looked like she was trying really hard not to smile.

"Tell me what?" Rachel inquired.

They sat down on the expensive couch, and Hazel immediately started toying with some golden necklace Rachel's mom had left there.

"Careful with that," she warned.

Hazel looked startled, as if she hadn't realized she was playing with it, "Oh. Sorry."

"Hazel's great with jewels," Percy insisted, trying to show off her, "She runs a jewelry shop even though she's only nineteen because her work is amazing,"

"Please," Hazel sounded pleased, "You work with those fishes like you were born in the sea,"

Rachel cleared her throat, "So, how long have you two been together?"

They looked so startled, Rachel felt confused. She was so hurt, were they trying to pretend they weren't dating? They were so familiar with each other it was a big icky. She wondered what Annabeth would think of them, for some reason, then was stabbed in the gut by the image of Percy and her kissing.

She shoved her thoughts away.

Hazel broke the stunned silence, "He's my cousin," she said, eyes wide, "He's known me since I was _born_, he could never be my _boyfriend_,"

Percy laughed, "Yeah. If I even hug her in Frank's presence she shoves me off. You're so squeamish about him,"

"He's perfect, Percy, you know that."

"Anyway, Rachel, we're not here to talk about that." He paused, "How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks. I feel much better, and the doctor said I could act tomorrow. How's the set?"

Percy flinched, "It's kind of…destroyed,"

"_What?_"

Hazel looked at Percy, "The ceiling dropped. All the cables, lights, equipment. All on top of everything and everyone. You're lucky Zeus is the producer. He's managed to win more money, so the movie goes on, but you're filming somewhere else,"

"Thank gosh you weren't there, Percy. Did anyone die?" her voice was small.

"No, but lots of people could have," Percy said, but Hazel said at the same time, "Annabeth would have if not for Percy,"

"What?"

Percy sent Hazel a look that could only be described as the why-did-you-have-to-say-that look.

"Yeah. That cute girl with blonde curls? She was about to be smashed by this huge piece of wood filled with splinters that weighted like, a lot, and would have cracked her skull, but Percy and her were acting together and he held it. Like, can you believe that? And later, she kissed him! It was the cutest thing ever,"

_Oh_.

Oh.

Oh…

Percy looked kind of uncomfortable, "I, er, got a huge splinter in my hand, and it started bleeding a lot, so they had to cover me up. The did both just in case one of the other wounds got infected. I have to do a bit of muscle therapy, 'cause some of my muscles went hard and rough, but otherwise I'm okay,"

Rachel blinked tears away from her eyes, "She wouldn't have died,"

"Huh?"

"Annabeth is this big, huge, strong girl who takes nothing form anyone. She would have held the ceiling all by herself if that was what it took to save herself." Rachel whispered.

"Yeah, I know. But you just can't help trying to protect the people you care about,"

_The people you care about_.

Before Rachel could say anything, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Hazel said, looking glad to be away from them.

* * *

"Hello," said the girl who was holding the door open.

Annabeth didn't know her, but she guessed it was a friend of Rachel's, which was strange, because she looked about sixteen.

"Um, Hi," she said, smiling, "Is Rachel here? I just wanted to make sure she's okay,"

"Oh, are _you_ Annabeth?" the girl smiled, "I'm so happy to finally meet you! Come in, come in, please,"

She looked a bit shy, blushing furiously, like she was meeting a celebrity or something. Bemused, Annabeth came in, and the girl started talking again:  
"Rachel's on the sofa, chatting with Percy –"

"Wait, Percy's here?" Suddenly, Annabeth didn't feel so well.

The girl looked a bit confused, "Yeah, is that okay?"

Annabeth took a deep breath, "Of course it is, I just didn't know he'd be here. Who are you, by the way?"

The girl smiled, hiding behind her brown curls, "I'm Hazel, Percy's –"

"Hazel!" Rachel's voice cut, "Who is it?"

Percy's what? Percy's _what_? Annabeth started panicking. What if he had a girlfriend? But no, Percy wouldn't play her like that.

Would he?

"It's Annabeth! She came to check on you!"

Annabeth heard a groan, and Percy, beautiful Percy, opened the white door that led to the sitting room.

Annabeth almost ran away. She hadn't talked with him about the other day, and she felt more and more nervous every second. And yet, some part of her wanted to say "Let's handle this like adults: are we dating?" and get a straight answer.

Percy smiled at both of them, "Hey, two beautiful girls at the door,"

Annabeth's stomach twisted.

Hazel came in, and started talking to Percy about something, chatting happily, but Annabeth couldn't take her eyes off him.

"So, Rachel, how are you?" she managed to pry her eyes away.

Rachel looked, to be honest, sad and miserable, "I'm great. They just finished telling me that you could've died if not for Percy,"

Annabeth squirmed in her seat, "Well… I…"

"And I've heard you two…lovebirds…kissed,"

Oh gods.

Oh gods.

How could she have not _seen _it before?

It was right _there_.

Rachel was obsessed with Percy.

Annabeth felt like puking, "Lovebirds? Really, Rachel… Well, I've got to go, _thanks_ for everything," her voice was filled with venom.

She left without saying anything else.

* * *

Aphrodite saw Percy exiting the house and giggled. Yes, they were all out now. She walked slowly to the bench Annabeth was sitting on.

"Oh my, darling. I heard you're got a little rough with Percy,"

"What the hades, Aphrodite?" Annabeth sounded annoyed, "My personal life is none of your business."

Aphrodite smirked, "Sweetheart, I'm a _love_ counselor, I can help you win him back,"

"What?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I can help you so much. You see, the first thing is make yourself hard to get. Not in the I-don't-like-_you_ way, but in the I-don't-even-like-_dating_¸ that way, he's yours,"

Annabeth looked completely amazed, "Please stay out of my life,"

Aphrodite, feeling bummed, called Artemis as she walked away, "You're going to have to convice her yourself to join your weird little girl's culb,"

* * *

Percy left the house with his head made a mess. Hazel had stayed with Rachel, saying she'd keep her company for a while, but Percy didn't feel like it. He felt dazzled and confused. First, he'd felt uncomfortable with Rachel because she seemed…weird, but then Annabeth had acted even weird-er. He felt like he was done with girls forever.

He bumped into someone, "Sorry,"

"Wow, Percy, you are getting clumsier by the second," Annabeth's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Sorry," he repeated, feeling strange.

Suddenly, Annabeth's sassy features seemed to melt, and she just looked concerned, "Hey, Percy, what even happened that day?"

Percy felt a little stupid when he said, "We kissed,"

"Yes, but did it _mean_ something?" Annabeth sounded annoyed, "Or was it just a kiss? We're not teenagers anymore, Percy. If you want to date me I'm ready for it, but you can't just kiss me whenever you feel like it and pretend it's nothing,"

Percy felt a little ashamed of himself, "Look, I'm sorry. I really like you, Annabeth, and if you're willing, we can go out for a drink, but you were the one that kissed _me_, so…"

Annabeth's eyes seemed to flash, "What about that girl, the curly haired cute teen, who is she? Your girlfriend?"

Percy was annoyed. A lot. "For gods' sake, she's my freaking cousin and she's nineteen, okay?"

Annabeth stepped back, "Okay, okay, don't go ballistics on me. Just…I'm sorry." She seemed to be near tears, "I haven't exactly dated in a long time, and I'm a little scared, so if you're not up for commitment and a relationship, please, nip it in the bud,"

Percy, to answer her, grabbed her and kissed her in the mouth.

It was amazing.

The first time he'd kissed her, it'd been a bit lame because his hands were hurting like hell and he felt like crap, but now it was all her, all beautiful, no holding back.

His skin seemed to tingle as she kissed him back, and then she pulled away, looking surprised.

"Well –"  
He never knew what she was going to say. Suddenly he got hit in the head.

The last thing he heard was Annabeth's terrified scream.

* * *

"No," she said, "Absolutely no,"

"What? You never want to have kids?" Luke's tone was teasing, "I've found my soul mate!"

Thalia blushed, ridiculously so, and kissed him lightly, "But I like all the other parts in a relationship,"

Suddenly Luke wasn't feeling so calm. His palms were sweaty. He really liked Thalia, surprisingly so, and he wasn't giving up her company for anything in the world, but he wasn't ready to go full on with her.

Especially because Kronos was watching him.

He was always doing so these days, and if he got too attached to Thalia, she'd take her away from him forever. Or use her as something to blackmail him into doing things. And he didn't want any of that to happen.

He kissed her back, a little nervous still, even as she caressed his cheek, and then she got up and smiled. "I'm going to go home. Got a case I've got to work on. Bye,"

When she kissed him again, she wasn't kissing lightly. Luke felt dangerously close to pulling her close to him and just making out with her in front of the whole cafeteria.

That, or worse.

He watched her go, controlling himself as best as he could, and breathed out.

He was in deep.

* * *

Percy awoke to a bridge on a river.

He was in front of a man who had a kind of freaky long nose, blue eyes, and really, really, short hair. He looked funny, but Percy had a feeling he wasn't nice.

And he _had_ tied him up and chained him to a chair.

The man smiled, "There we go. The telekhine finds a new baby to play with. Isn't that right, Annie?"

That was when Percy noticed Annabeth, holding a woman's hand. The woman would be pretty, he guessed, not beautiful, if she hadn't been wearing a ridiculous wig that looked like it was meant to be snakes for hair. She was wearing sunglasses and was holding Annabeth's hand. Poor Annabeth was blind folded and whimpering.

"Why did you do this?" Percy roared, feeling full of rage.

"They're the telekhine and Medusa," Annabeth said weakly, "They work together. Lovers, you could say. Medusa used to date your dad, Percy, till he dumped her because my mom caught them…um…having fun at her flat and made him. They met and now they're assasins,"

"That's right," Medusa said, showing her white pearly teeth, "I could've been your mamma, boy, but that jerk face fish face don't know a thing. Now I got ma telekhine who loves ma."

Telekhine smiled, "You ready to make her turn to stone, sweetheart?" Medusa nodded, "Ready since I were born,"

Telekhine smiled, "Since you almost got our friend killed, we're here to finish the job for Kronos,"

"Kronos? Friends?" Percy was confused. What did this had to do with his dead granddad?

"Yeah, Scylla and Caribdis was long gone," Medusa said, her hand gripping Ananbeth's tighter, "Ar friends,"

Telekhine smiled, "Now –"

Annabeth kicked Medusa.

It was so surprising that they hadn't seen it coming. Annabeth was practically free; it was so logical that she'd kick Medusa's ass. Annabeth had to know martial arts or something, because she pinned the woman down, and when the telekhine moved onto her, she kicked him and brought him to the floor, then spat in his face.

"That was so sexy," Percy joked.

Annabeth stared at him, "You're such an idiot,"

She started to untie him, and finally: he was free. He looked down and then looked back up at Annabeth, "Thanks. You saved my life,"

Annabeth was blushing for some reason, "No –"

The Telekhine grabbed her, "One more step and I'll cut her throat," he said, holding a dagger to her neck, "I swear I will,"

Nothing like pressure to come up with marvelous ideas.

"What do I care? You're going to kill us both anyway. I'm just going to leave."

Obviously, the telekhine was stupid. His face turned into shock for a second, and Annabeth elbowed him, but then he was on top of her, "Percy! A little help!"

Percy tackled him.

And they both fell into the river.

* * *

"No!" Annabeth screamed as Percy fell, "No!"

She ran down to the shore, screaming for Percy, praying that he was alright, that he was alright, please.

And tripped.

She fell face down and almost killed herself, her head landing inches away from a very sharp rock. She tried standing up, but everything hurt, and her ankle was probably broken. Desperate, she pulled out her phone, left a frantic message for her dad and her mother, and tried to crawl to shore.

Nothing.

Oh Percy, she thought, forgive me, please.

They found her two hours later, when she was shivering and trying to stand up.

"Oh gods, Oh gods, Oh gods, Oh gods," Thalia was all over her, crying and holding her, "Oh my gods. Oh my gods, are you _okay_?"

Annabeth nodded weakly, "I'm fine, but Percy…he fell down the bridge. Is he okay? Did you find him?"

Thalia looked at her, and sobbed.

"What?"

"Annabeth, sweetie. That river is seven feet deep with sharp rocks under it. I'm afraid my cousin is going to be found as a …body," her voice cracked.

Annabeth was crying, "No, but he jumped! He jumped with a man! And Meduse, the woman, she jumped into the river trying to find him, I saw! He has to be alive!"

Thalia gripped her tight.

A week later, they hadn't found either body or a living Percy. The bodies of the Telekhine and Medusa had been found later on that day, but no sign from him. Poseidon visited Thalia once, when Annabeth was there, and Thalia told her that she'd heard Sally crying.

Apparently, Percy had left two half sisters that were probably now brotherless, and Annabeth was trying to cope with the fact that he wasn't alive. It was impossible that Percy could've survived.

_He died for me_.

She should've known Percy Jackson didn't know the word 'impossible'.

* * *

Dots danced around Percy's eyes. A shape appeared, looming over him. Caramel colored hair and beautiful almond eyes.

"Ssh, my hero. You're okay," she said, as she caressed him, "You're okay now, my brave one. I'm Calypso,"

* * *

**Did you like it? I really loved this one, I thought it was really nice. Okay, next chapter we'll be back to the acting again, don't worry. I won't be able to update for a couple of days, and I'll be tired after those couple of days. If you send really cute reviews like you always do, my dear readers, I will update as soon as I can! Be lovely like always,**

**-ChocolateIsMyDoom**


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